Simple Foods - root vegetables
Written by Kate Petersen on July 16, 2008 – 7:33 am -As part of my “get simple and get ready for adversity” plan, I’m doing my best to practice cooking foods that I could do from storage. I’m fairly good with whole grains and beans and lentils, but I don’t do much with root vegetables and hope you all can help out.
So, Kate, why don’t you cook root vegetables?
All three of us in this family have a genetic predisposition toward metabolic syndrome, that large-waisted apple body shape that is a visible risk marker for insulin resistance, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiac problems. The best way to feed someone with metabolic syndrome is with a low-glycemic diet — meat, beans, whole grains, greens, lots of vegetables like tomatoes and peppers and eggplants, but very little in the way of refined grains, flour, pasta, white rice, or starchy veggies like potatoes.
This is difficult because everyone in this family loooooooooooves the potatoes and the rice and the pasta.
Tell me about your root vegetables and how you make them palatable. None of us like turnips. Never tried rutabagas and don’t think I could sneak those past the menfolk. Parsnips I’ve tried and was less than impressed, but might be able to work them into a casserole of some sort. Carrots are good as part of a stir-fry or veggie stew, or even raw. Sweet potatoes are okay every now and then, just baked with a little butter and pepper (but no marshmallows. shudder.) Jicama? Jerusalem artichoke? Beets?
What else am I missing? What stores well in a root cellar and how do you use it?
Posted in Food, Frugality |
8 Comments
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Radishes! I forgot radishes.
I like braised radishes. I sauté them lightly in a little oil or butter, then add a cup or so of chicken stock, turn the heat down to simmer, and let them braise until the stock is almost cooked away and the radishes are soft. I also like them raw in salads.
Any other ideas for radishes?
Our favourite radish recipe is this:
1 C sliced radishes
2 T basil, thinly sliced
1 T cilantro, thinly sliced
1-2 T good olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
You can actually use any herbs that suit your taste. These are just usually on hand.
Another good one is this:
Gently boil until done separately chopped carrots and chopped parsnip OR turnip, equal amounts. Drain and add some butter, salt and pepper. Mash and serve. Really tasty and tangy. You can throw some chopped chives in there too.
BUT, BUT, BUT I’ll go back to basics, slow roasted vegetables are really worth it. You just have to chop into chunks and drizzle with some olive oil and roast at about 300 until done. Yum.
Potatoes, white or gold or sweet or new (I love the new). Slice into spears and thoroughly toss with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 475 for about 35 minuter turning once.
You have to keep the tatties at about 60 degrees to really keep them over the harvest. I’ve seen it done in a well house, in straw in a colder climate and also dried and used as mashed the next year.
The other thing I would say is make as much as you can from the basic natural food. Use olive oil, peanut oil, butter, sugar in limited quantities. When you get into the Low-fat, margerine, splenda/sweet n low territory, it gets really bad. Bad for your health and bad for your mental health.
Cheers to you, Kate!
Ugh to low-fat and Splenda and margarine. I hated margarine long before anyone knew about trans fats, and I have distrusted artificial sweeteners from day one. I don’t have a major sweet tooth, but on the occasions I want something sweet I use agave syrup or brown sugar or honey for sweetening.
Olive oil, yes. I’ll have to check the other oils but I think I have canola and not peanut.
I can store potatoes at 60 degrees. The garage is part of the house but unheated except for residual heat from the water heater. It stays pretty chilly but above freezing in there all winter.
I forgot about the simple roasted veggies. Good and easy! Thanks!
Sweet potato chips are heavenly. Almost heavenlier is sweet potato tempura-type spears dipped in a sweetened light tamari.
George Foreman grills are the way to go with the hi glycemic stuff, imo.
I just try not to cook the high glycemic stuff at all. Potatoes have become a fairly rare treat here, and I’ve switched to brown and wild rice and (for the guys) the high-protein pastas like Dreamfields and Barilla Plus.
Sweet potatoes are okay, glycemic-wise, and I like tempura, so I might try some of those. Good idea, thank you!
Sweet potato chips and tempura are pure heaven!
One thing that is delicious on sweet potato spears is SAn-J Tamari organic and heavenly. Use it either before cooking or after its all goo!!!!
Kate, I found a good recipe for a gingered carrot soup. Peel and slice the carrots and grate a few tablespoons of ginger root, boil gently until soft, drain, but reserve some liquid. Put the carrots in a food processor and pulverize, adding enough of the reserved liquid to make it as liquid as you wish. Served over a mixture of wild rice and rice, your choice, it really is a treat.